If you have anxiety / depression / ocd

[Whatthefudgeisgoingon]

What anti depressants worked best for you?
Fluoxetine made me feel numb and emotionless. Sertraline has made me worse.

Duloxetine.

Clomipramine, a fairly old tricyclic ad. However it is difficult for pharmacies to get hold of due to manufacturing issues so I’ve just started escitalopram.

Mirtazapine - partly because it is taken at night so I sleep through any potential side effects. I had the same as you with Fluoxetine.

Hi everyone,

I am pretty desperate for some advise as I think I am suffering from severe anxiety and depression and have been feeling very low, no positive outlook and I have feelings of not wanting to be here anymore. Long story short, my new partner and I went from spending everyday together to moving from a city into a county and living with his family. The plan was, once we move to the county, we would both get a job and start a happy life together and a family.

I was earning great money in the city, was very independent and had everything a girl would wish for. Since moving, I am 5 hours away from any of my friends, my dad passed before I moved, can’t get a job because I’m over qualified apparently (still trying), and the romance from the relationship has fizzled away due to us being at his mums. We hardly have sex, there isn’t much to do here in this county so my creative side has been destroyed here.

I’m really struggling as he now has a job and I’m stuck at home the majority of the time doing absolutely nothing. I’ve joined the gym, but apart from that, there is nothing for me to do. I have tried volunteering but they have no vacancies.

Money isn’t an issue at the moment, it’s just that I’m left with my thoughts all day and haven’t had proper one-to-one time with my boyfriend in what I feel is an important time in a relationship (7 months in). We should be having fun, going away together, making love a lot, not sitting down on the sofa with his family all the time. I understand moving to a different country/county takes time to adjust but I am really struggling with my mental health issues at the moment. Has someone been through this? Any advice on how to be a bit more patient or optimistic? I’m scared I’m losing my relationship because I’m picking on him and my moods are over the roof and making him very unhappy.

P.s, I have spoken to him about this and we are waiting on a second interview for myself this week. I have also started seeing a counsellor and started taking st John’s works for my anxiety as I am scared of prescribed meds. I know things will work out I’m just really scared of the constant paranoia and anxiety I keep getting prevent me from seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Honestly? I think you need to make plans to move back. You’ve removed all the things that give you stability and support and are good for your mental health. Some people (like my dh) are very self contained and don’t need much external structure for their mental health. Other people (me) need a large amount of external structure so friends, family, activities, familiarity with local area etc. If it’s a definite permanent move then I would try to access things you know you need, so local groups etc. There will be lots going on, you just need to access it. Try local Facebook groups, community centres etc.

Thank you for your response. It was meant to be a permanent move for both of us. I know I would be happy if I have a job as that will fill my time and allow me a break from sitting with my thoughts all day. I will wait to hear back from my interview, if I don't get the role, then I may need to make plans to move back or a city closer to this county. I just hope my boyfriend will be ok with it.

I've been on Sertraline (worked great for 17 years then stopped working, no idea why, it just happens sometimes according to my psychiatrist).

Tried duloxetine. Even though it's supposed to be non-sedating I was sleeping 16 hours a day, and with dc that's just not possible.

I'm now on venlafaxine. I also take amytriptyline for chronic pain but at a therapeutic antidepressant dose. I'm doing better than I have in years.

It's worth trying something else. My dh was on venlafaxine and is now doing great on duloxetine.

Prozac - had NO effect at all

Citalopram - worked initially but then I developed a sort of intolerance culminating in a&e admission for suspected stroke (facial palsy, weakness on one side, aphasia, scary!)

Another ssri can't remember name - caused psychosis

Clomipramine - worked great for years, until the side effects started affecting me REALLY badly even with a very low dose. Really disappointed I can no longer take this as it basically switched the OCD off!

Mirtazipine - on this now, initially made me very drowsy and I finally got some sleep. Reduced the anxiety, started feeling more hopeful. Since inc the dose that has all lessened greatly and now I feel it isn't working and I've been saying this for months but cpn/Mht not listening to what I'm saying.

I've been prescribed pregabalin which I refused to take as I didn't feel safe to do so because of side effects and likelihood of it worsening anxiety.

Took several months for my view on that to be even slightly accepted. Have since been prescribed quetiapine which I am wanting to try but again very very nervous because of problems with other meds and it's not a med to be taken lightly and also I'm no longer feeling I can really trust my cpn and team.

Where that leaves me fuck knows!

Please look into gut health. The gut is closely connected to your brain and if it's out of whack then it can cause all sorts of issues with your mental health.

Since being on AIP I have totally eradicated my OCD and the intrusive thoughts.

Hope that helps

I second looking into gut health and a good therapist. If you can do both these things and it not help then look at ads.